Left-wing militant Battisti: four murders and a life sentence

Rome (AFP) - Former left-wing militant Cesare Battisti, who was extradited to Italy on Monday, is to serve out the rest of his life sentence after being convicted in 1981 of two murders and involvement in two others.

Battisti, 64, has admitted to being part of the Armed Proletarians for Communism (PAC), a radical group which staged a string of robberies and attacks, but has always denied responsibility for any deaths, painting himself as a political refugee.

Pier Luigi Torregiani, jeweller

On February 16, 1979, PAC militants shoot dead Pier Luigi Torregiani at his Milan jeweller's shop, in front of his teenaged son Alberto, who was wounded and paralysed in the shootout. "Now the victims can rest in peace," Alberto said on learning of Battisti's extradition.

Battisti was convicted of organising the killing, carried out after the jeweller killed a militant in self defence during a previous robbery.

Lino Sabbadin, butcher -

On the same day, Battisti was an accomplice in the PAC murder of butcher and far-right militant Lino Sabbadin, 45, in Mestre, near Venice. The motive was the same as for the Torregiani killing: Sabbadin had killed a militant during an attempted robbery in 1978.

"I've waited 40 years for this moment," said his son Adriano, aged 17 at the time of the attack, on learning of the extradition.